Sign holding device



y 1934- H. c. PFAFF, JR

SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. '31, 1933 ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1934 TED 'STATEETS PATENT fornica This invention relates to street sign display devices and -more particularly to means for holding and supporting :sign plates in .-such devices.

5 It is the common and-general practice in most municipalities to provideat street intersections, devices showing the names of the streets. Such devices, being subjected to all kinds of weather .and climatic -con ditions, .must of necessity be 510 durable; and they are generallymade-of metal. The name plates are loosely held in channelled ,irames. :I-leretofore, in the assembly of such devices, it has been necessary to use a 'number of :bolts andvinuts. Such a type of structure :requiring bolts and :nuts in its assembly has been objectionable in-thattwo or more workmen are required to assemble the device; and the bolts .and nuts often become loosened and fall out. Also, the bolts and nuts-are often removed by mischievous :boys of vandalistic tendencies, with the result that in many instances'street inter- ::sections are :not properly marked. Also, the :baked :or porcelain enamelled :sign plates are frequently damaged *by stresses '-caused by ex- .pansion and contraction of the metalirames-in extremely hot or cold weather. i

It is therefore an object :of this invention-to provide .a .street sign iplate holding device which is formed .in several ,parts :properly spaced to 30 .allow'tfor expansion and contraction of the metal \under various climatic conditions.

.A :iurther object is the provision of a street sign .plate holding device which requires no bolts and nuts inrits assembly, so that the device can :be readily and conveniently assembled by a :single workman.

A further object is the .plate holding ,iframe comprising two interchangeable :parts :of identical shape and :simple structure, enabling the "manufacture 'and assembly =0 sign iholding devices .at a low cost.

These .and other advantageous objects which will later iappear, .are accomplished by thesimple and practical construction and :arrangement 'of parts hereinafter described andzexhibited-zinthe accompanying drawingflfionning part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the street sign holding device,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device when used to indicate two intersecting streets,

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the device taken at right angles to the view in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the two-part sign plate holding frame used in the device,

provide "a cylindrical :boss as shown in Fig-.3.

provision of a single Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken \on line :59-5

of Fig. :2, and

so that they-.canbe readily interchanged. -Each ;part has an internal channel to 'loosely 1r ceive and support a sign plate 11, whichigenerally :is-made of baked or porcelainenamel. Each part is substantiallyU-shaped and has on :opposed sidessemi-cylindrical bosses 1'2, :13, so ithat when the frameis assembled :the bosses fit-together to Ari external rib :14, triangular in cross section :asshownin Fig. 1, extends-:aroundthe periphery of zthe frame. f 1

rPassing through the bosses 12, 13,1is .a rod-15, -l=?igs. 2,.:3, 5) integral with a=cylindrical cap '16, having opposed triangular grooves "17 adapted "to fit 'over the rib 1410i the frame, the internal diameter .of the cap :16 being slightly greater than .13116 diameter :of the cylindrical boss: formed z'byithe'rbosses 12, {13. The capis usually provided 5, with "anintegral-ornament 26.

when, :for -example, two sign :plates are used sto designate :two intersecting streets, .the top rib 14 0f the upper =frame is engaged by the cap :16, while the bottom rib ;on the upper Fframe ;is--.en- :gaged'by opposed triangular'grooves 19 in a collar 18, which surrounds the bosses on the lower :si'deaof theupper frame andon :theupper side of the lower frame, (see Figs. :2, 3, 5) the-collar :18 *having grooves 19 to engage also the \upper rib on the lower frame.

The lower 'rib 14 on the lower-frame -fits in "grooves 22-=in:a collar-Z5 integral with a two-part .capi20 which fits over the top-of and isclamped, by suitable means, to a :cylindrical supporting post.2l. The lower end of the rod is threaded :and :passes through an :aperture :in cap 20.

.111 assembling the device, the cap 16 is fitted over the bosses 12, 1'3-ofthe-upper frame,-therod =15 passing through the bosses .and between the sign plates :11, which are bowed orspaced at the center to accommodate the rod 15. The collar 18 is then slipped over rod 15 and into position over the bosses on the under side of the upper frame. The lower frame members are then placed in position with the upper bosses 12, 13 thereon surrounded by cap 18. It should be here noted that the sign plates 11 are already in position in the frames.

The cap is then positioned over the lower 5:

bosses 12, 13 of the lower frame member, after which a nut 24 is threaded on the end 23 of rod 15 and rotated to draw the parts firmly together; upward movement of the nut 2ibeing prevented by the cap 20, so that rotation of the nut 24 draws the rod 15 downward to clamp the parts together. The cap 20 is then clamped onto the supporting post 21.

Obviously, when the device is used for a single sign plate, it is not necessary to use the collar 18.

The collar 18 is provided with a plurality of grooves 19 to enable the sign frames to be arranged at various angles to each other.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a sign holding device of simple structure requiring no nuts or bolts, and which can be readily assembled by a single unskilled workman. The parts are loosely fitted together so that allowance can be made for expansions and contractions due to changing weather.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications, without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sign holding device, a frame member comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped internally channelled sections of identical size and shape, each of said sections having at the free ends of the legs thereof semi-cylindrical bosses, so that when the sections are assembled together said semi-cylindrical bosses cooperate to form cylindrical bosses, and means surrounding said bosses to hold the sections together, said sections having an external, peripheral rib of triangular cross-section.

2. In a sign holding device, a frame member comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped internally channelled sections of identical size and shape, each of said sections having at the free ends of the legs thereof semi-cylindrical bosses, so that when the sections are assembled together 'said semi-cylindrical bosses cooperate to form cylindrical bosses, and means surrounding said bosses to hold the sections together.

3. In a sign holding device, a frame member comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped internally channelled sections of identical size and shape, each of said sections having at the free ends of the legs thereof semi-cylindrical bosses, so

lindrical bosses, said sections having an external rib, and cylindrical collars encompassing said bosses to hold the sections together, said collars having grooves therein to cooperate with said ribs to maintain the collars in a definite position relative to the sections.

5. In a sign holding device, a pair of frame members for holding and supporting sign plates, each of said frame members having a pair of internally channelled sections of identical size and shape, each section being substantially U-shaped and having at the free ends of the legs thereof a semi-cylindrical boss, so that when the sections are assembled together said semi-cylindrioal bosses cooperate to form cylindrical bosses, each section having an external rib of triangular crosssection, a rod passing through the bosses, said rod having, at its upper end, an integral cap which encompasses the upper cylindrical boss on the upper frame, a cylindrical collar encompassing the lower boss on the upper frame and the upper boss on the lower frame, a second cap having a collar encompassing the lower boss on the lower frame, said rod passing through the second cap and having a nut threaded on the end thereof, said second cap engaging the nut so that rotation of the nut on the rod will draw the rod downwardly to clamp the frame members together, and a supporting post to which said second cap is attached.

6. In a sign holding device, a pair of frame members for holding and supporting sign plates, each of said frame members having a pair of internally channelled sections of identical size and shape, each section being substantially U-shaped and having at the free ends of the legs thereof a semi-cylindrical boss, so that when the sections are assembled together said semi-cylindrical bosses cooperate to form cylindrical bosses, each section having an external rib of triangular crosssection, a rod passing through the bosses, said rod having at its upper end an integral cap which encompasses the upper cylindrical boss on the upper frame, a cylindrical collar encompassing the lower boss on the upper frame and the upper boss on the lower frame, a second cap having a collar encompassing the lower boss on the lower frame, said rod passing through the second cap and having a nut threaded on the end thereof, said second cap engaging the nut so that rotation of the nut on the rod will draw the rod downwardly to clamp the frame members together, and a supporting post to which said second cap is attached, said first-mentioned cap and said collars having grooves therein cooper- 1 ating with said ribs to prevent rotation of the frame.

'7. In a sign holding device, a frame comprising two interchangeable U-shaped internally channelled sections of identical size, each of the sections having at the free ends of the legs thereof a boss, collars surrounding said bosses to hold the sections together, and means associated with said collars and sections to prevent rotation of the collars relative to the sections.

HENRY C. PFAFT, JR.

Mil 

